Poly Jargon Explained

The many terms and acronyms associated with Poly Pipe can be confusing, here Matrix Piping has explained the jargon for you, to make the terminologies make a little more sense.

The Different Terminologies

HDPE

HDPE is an acronym for High Density Poly Ethylene, which is also referred to as PE80 and PE100. All Poly Pipes in Australia are now made from HDPE material. The term HDPE is often used as a name for low-pressure drainage poly pipe, but technically, the material used is the same as high pressure pipes.

MDPE

MDPE is an acronym for Medium Density Poly Ethylene, which is also referred to as PE50 and PE63. In Australia, no pipes are made from these MDPE materials anymore.

PE100

PE100 is a version of HDPE and stands for Poly Ethylene with an Minimum Required Strength (MRS) of 100 at 50 years and 20º according to ISO4427.

PE80

PE80 is another version of HDPE and stands for Poly Ethylene with an Minimum Required Strength (MRS) of 80 at 50 years and 20º according to ISO4427.

PE

PE stands for Poly Ethylene and is a term that is used to cover all types of Polyethylene pipes.

Polyethylene

Polyethylene is the name of the material that makes up Poly Pipes, as well as other items, such as plastic water tanks.

Polythene

Polythene is a synonym for polyethylene, but is not normally used as a term for Poly Pipes.

SDR rating

The acronym SDR stands for Standard Dimension Ratio. When the outside diameter of the pipe is divided by the SDR, it gives the thickness of the pipe wall.

PN rating

The acronym PN stands for Pressure nominal. When a pipe has a rating of PN16, it is designed to handle an internal pressure of 16 Bar.